Belfort has won nine of his past 11 bouts, losing only to Anderson
Silva and Jon Jones. The
36-year-old Blackzilians representative last appeared at UFC on FX
8 in May, when he leveled the
American Kickboxing Academy’s Luke
Rockhold with a spectacular spinning heel kick and follow-up
punches at the Arena Jaragua in Jaragua do Sul, Brazil. A judo and
Brazilian jiu-jitsu black belt blessed with lightning-quick hands,
Belfort has secured 16 of his 23 career victories by knockout or
technical knockout. His list of victims includes “The Ultimate
Fighter” Season 3 winner Michael
Bisping, former UFC middleweight champion Rich
Franklin, 2000 Olympic silver medalist Matt
Lindland and onetime Pride 205-pound titleholder Wanderlei
Silva.

Henderson, meanwhile, finds himself on a two-fight losing streak
for just the third time in his career. The 43-year-old
Team Quest founder last competed at UFC 161 in June, when he
wound up on the wrong side of a split decision against Rashad
Evans at the MTS Centre in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. “Hendo”
wrestled collegiately at Cal State Fullerton and Arizona State
University before representing the United States in the Summer
Olympics in 1992 and 1996. Still the only fighter to hold major MMA
championships in two weight classes simultaneously, Henderson has
never been knocked out in 39 professional bouts.

The UFC Fight Night 32 lineup provides plenty of water cooler
fodder. We discuss some of it here:

File

Henderson last won in 2011.

Whitman: The number of shows the UFC is
putting on is becoming rather intense. Excluding the main event, is
there a matchup on this card that you can immediately peg as a
must-watch fight?
Knapp: You are not the first person to mention MMA fatigue to me,
and there is no denying the fact that all these events have watered
down the product a bit. Personally, I would rather have too much
than not enough. With that said, there are a couple of fights
beyond the Belfort-Henderson rematch that have me interested.
Brandon
Thatch did his bull in a china shop routine in his promotional
debut against Justin
Edwards, but I want to see how he handles a seasoned opponent
like Paulo
Thiago, who was once considered a top 10 welterweight. The
first matchup on the UFC Fight Night 32 lineup also bears watching,
as prospect Dustin
Ortiz climbs into the Octagon for the first time to face
Jose
Maria Tome and his gaudy 33-4 record.

Whitman: Why is Belfort fighting Henderson at light
heavyweight? I get that Henderson beat him seven years ago, but
would you not rather see “The Phenom” stay at 185 pounds and fight
meaningful bouts within the division?
Knapp: I stopped trying to figure out Belfort a long, long time
ago. This fight does not make much sense for him, as the risks far
outweigh the benefits. I guess that at this point in his career he
would rather not make the cut to middleweight unless the title is
on the line. He may come to regret that decision.

Whitman: Rafael
Cavalcante did not look good in his June knockout defeat to
Thiago
Silva; it was his first fight since testing positive for
steroids. What do you think we can expect from “Feijao” against
Igor
Pokrajac?
Knapp: Maddeningly inconsistent, Cavalcante is a tough guy to read.
His physical ability is undeniable, but he has almost looked
disinterested at various times in his career. The cage tends to be
unforgiving to those who run hot and cold. Still, “Feijao” has a
favorable draw here. I think he runs circles around Pokrajac, who
lacks to the tools necessary to put the Brazilian on his heels.

Whitman: Jeremy
Stephens is set to make his second appearance as a
featherweight against Rony
Mariano Bezerra. I figure fireworks are all but guaranteed in
this one. Do you agree?
Knapp: Given their histories -- they have 29 finishes in 46 bouts
between them -- you would have to think a little reckless abandon
is in our future. The devastating power Stephens wields in his
hands only figures to be enhanced at 145 pounds. Bezerra has been
on a tear, but it only takes one unfortunate encounter with
Stephens’ fists to ruin a man’s night. Ask Rafael dos
Anjos, who had his incisors rattled by a “Lil’ Heathen”
uppercut at UFC 91.

Whitman: My friend has been telling me for some time that
Ortiz is a future title contender at 125 pounds. Do you think the
Tachi Palace Fights veteran will make waves in the
UFC?
Knapp: I expect him to stick around and succeed, but I have not
seen enough to label him a future title contender, not with guys
like Joseph
Benavidez, John Dodson
and Ian
McCall populating the upper reaches of the division and
bantamweights like Scott
Jorgensen moving down from 135 pounds.